创办于1993年的上海国际电影节，次年获得国际电影制片人协会的认证，被归于A类即非专门类竞赛型电影节。至今，上海国际电影节已举办了7届。每届上海国际电影节的最高荣誉"金爵奖"的8个奖项，都是由来自世界各国的国际评委评审产生的。Oshima，Oliver Stone，Alan Parker，Assayas，IM Kwon-taek等都曾经担任过上海国际电影节的国际评委。为了鼓励亚洲新人创作、为亚洲电影向世界的扩张搭建平台，电影节于2004年在金爵国际电影论坛下，设立了亚洲新人奖，并资金重奖亚洲电影新人。

　　上海国际电影节由中国国家广播电影电视总局和上海市人民政府主办，上海市文化广播影视管理局、上海文化广播影视集团承办。当时国家广电总局将中国第一个国际电影节定在上海还有很深的涵义：上海作为中国电影的发祥地，在相当长的一段岁月里，它几乎就是中国电影的代名词。上海文化为中国的民族电影工业带来了最初的繁华；上海，曾经为中国电影长廊奉献了最丰富的影像。上海国际电影节可以说是上海这个城市对电影情结的一个还愿。

　　根据国际电影制片人协会的章程，每届上海国际电影节由四个主要活动组成："金爵奖"国际影片评选、国际影片展映，国际电影交易市场以及金爵国际电影论坛暨"亚洲新人奖"评选。电影节举办至今，已经吸引了世界各洲六十多个国家和地区、3823部影片的报名， 959部影片展映，累计票房2770万人民币。这是尚没有完全开放的中国电影市场每年度惟一的一次世界影片集萃，因此，每年的上海国际电影节对上海及周边城市的观众无疑是一次期待已久的电影朝圣，创办至今，已经有150多万人次融入这个中国重要的电影活动中。现在，每年六月期间九天的电影节已然成为上海文化生活一个重要的景观。

First run in 1993, the Shanghai International Film Festival, was accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Association (FIAPF), as one of non-specialized competitive international film festivals in the following year. The past seven festivals have progressed successfully, with global veterans namely Oshima, Oliver Stone, Alan Parker, Olivier Assayas, Im Kwon-Taek invited as international juries to judge films and present grand prizes - the most honored "Jin Jue" Award to the winners. In order to encourage the emerge of new filmmakers and film productions in Asia, and to set up a platform toward the world for Asian films, a new section which is Asian New Talent Award Film Competition was set under the umbrella of "Jin Jue" International Film Forum in 2004, awarding new Asian filmmakers with fund.

The Shanghai International Film Festival is co-hosted by the State Administration of Radio, Film & TV and the Shanghai Municipal Government, and organized by the Special Events Office under Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group. Shanghai is the first city in China to produce film, and has been the synonym to present Chinese films quite a long time. Its local and traditional culture in Shanghai has also contributed greatly to the booming of Chinese film industry. That is why the first and only international film festival in China is held in Shanghai.

According to the FIAPF International Regulations, each film festival comprises four regular activities, which are "Jin Jue" Award International Film Competition, International Film Panorama, International Film Market and "Jin Jue" International Film Forum. The festival is the only annual world film gathering in the Chinese market, the market that has not been completely open to the outside world, with total involvement of 959 official films selected out among 3823 submissions from over 60 countries and regions and the box office reaching 27.7 million RMB in the previous editions. Fascinated by filmgoers in Shanghai and its surrounding areas, the 9-day festival in June has become an important movie celebration event highlighting cultural life in Shanghai.